Dinner time at our house can be tricky. You might have one kid who is ready to eat, one who cares less, or maybe both not wanting to sit at the table. So, I tried something new. It was a nice night and I told each of them to run two laps around the yard and by the time they were done, dinner would be ready. I figured if they had all that energy at the table, it was going to make for a long meal—or short depending on how you look at it! They ran their laps, laughing all the way back to the door. Both announced, “I win!” as they sat down. Then we enjoyed approximately 5 minutes and the 3-bite rule (thanks, Pete the Cat) before the trio headed out to play and I cleaned up.

It was the nightly post-dinner clean-up. I had all the curtains open, and blinds pulled up. As I was clearing plates from the table, I had the most beautiful view. Not a view of mountains or crashing waves, but the view of the people I cherish the most. Sometimes I just like watching them together. I love that my husband and I are a team and that sometimes it’s me out in the yard “blocking” goals and kicking the balls and he is inside cleaning up. Sometimes we do it together and the kids go outside and play until we are done and can join them. But on this particular night, I was cleaning up and my husband was in the yard. There was smiling and sweet laughter—it’s funny what you can pick up on when you are observing. It was as if I was at a movie theater, but I was the only one lucky enough to get to see the film. The charm of my son throwing his arms in the air as I read his lips, “GOAL.” The little giggles I could almost hear as Ella jumped into her daddy’s arms from the playset. The three of them ran around the yard as a little team, playing family soccer. Part of me wanted to jump in and play too, but the other part just found beauty in the stillness at the table watching through the window.

If you could have seen me in the kitchen that night, I’m sure it would have either made you laugh or blush out of embarrassment for me. You see, I’ve never been known for my dancing abilities, but that doesn’t keep me from dancing. And the joy on my family’s faces as they played together had me inspired. I turned on the Alexa and started moving to the beat of songs I didn’t even know. That beat had me in the groove. A groove I can imagine I’d be trying to follow in a Zumba class, although the accurate description is probably more along the lines of Napoleon Dynamite dancing his solo. I wasn’t holding back. I turned the music up and loaded that dishwasher like a champ. Somewhat laughing at myself thinking of what it would look like if someone walked in, but the other part of me didn’t care! The magic came from the place of gratitude. Joy doesn’t care what you look like when you’re dancing as long as you dance.

There’s a euphoric feeling you can find when you look for joy every day. Take a moment to truly enjoy what’s in front of you. The time seems to pass too quickly, but sometimes we can slow it down with stillness. By paying attention. By noticing the big moments but cherishing the tiny ones. I don’t ever want these posts to come across as me living in a blissful la-la land, but I do want you to recognize the importance of focusing on the positive and feeling grateful for your blessings. There are times when I lose my cool. There are times when my kids and/or husband are driving me a little bonkers and I need a minute to regroup—but the secret is, I try not to let that minute take too long because I don’t want to miss out on the simple and utterly amazing moments that are happening all around me if I just pay attention.

Have a great weekend and as always, happy reading.